Battery



SePt- 21, 1943. E. SALATHE ET Al. 2,329,856

BATTERY Filed May 29, 1941 Patented Sept. 21, 1943 2,329,856; fj fBATTEm'r l Eduard Salath,Ls ngeles, and Melvin C. I v Farrell,Glendale,`(lalif-.

' Animation' May 29, 1941,-seri1isia395,s44

1 0mm.- (ol. 13s-173)' Our invention relates to a multiple cell batteryand has for its principal object, the provision of a relatively simple,practical, and compact battery, including a box or container and aplurality of conventional dry cells 'that maybe advanta'y geouslyemployed. in connection with the ignition,

systems of the small internal combustion engines used as motive powerfor miniature airplanes orl for any purpose Where it is desired toincreaseor decrease the amperage vcapacity ofv a constant voltagecurrent.

Further objects of our invention are, t0 provide a strong andsubstantial, lightweight battery box or container adapted to receive aplurality of cells and the construction of said box or container beingsuch as to permit therealdy insertion and removal of the battery cellsand the partitions between said cells, and further, to construct thebattery box and the contact plates and strips so that the latter may beconveniently positioned within or removed from the box.

. With the foregoing and other objects in View, our invention consistsin certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts thatwill be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a battery box constructed in accordancewith our invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken approximately on theline 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the contact plate that is located in the bottomof the battery box or container.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the contact and conductor stripsthat is located in the top of the box. Y

As illustrated in the drawing, the battery box is composed ofpractically identical halves, rectangular in form, `and each partincluding a pair of side walls Il) and a pair of end walls II, The upperpart of the box includes a top plate or wall I2 and the lower halfincludes a bottom plate or wall I3. The parts of the box may be formedfrom any suitable insulation, for instance, wood, compressed ber, orchip board, or from any of the various plastics now in general use.

Formed integral with the end walls. I l adjacent the edges that contactwith each other when the parts of the box are properly assembled areoutwardly projecting semi-circular lugs I4 that combine to form shortcircular studs and removably positioned thereon are rings I5 of elasticmaterial' olspiitrings `of metal v that serve to., retain the partsofthe box in assembled relation.: f

-Removably positioned vwithin the boxA or `container-A `are partitionsi5, that provideseparate chambers forthve inserted battery cells Il,which latter-Haie of,Y conve ntionalA construction andreadilycbtainablein the open market.

the chamber within thebox and resting upon the 1bottom plate li3 is .asubstantially rectangular platelt of thin, Vresilientmetal,4 and' formedintegralV with the ends thereof are short 'outwardly projecting lips 19,which when the plate is inserted in the box project into correspondinglyshaped apertures 20 that are formed in the end walls of the lower halfof the box directly above the bottom IQ thereof` The construction justdescribed provides anchorage for the plate I8 when the same is insertedin the box and at the same time said'plate may be readily removed fromthe box. Small portions of the plate I8 are pressed upwardly so as toform studs 2 I that directly Contact with the positive andnegativecontacts of the inserted battery cells.

Removably positioned within the upper portion of the box directlybeneath the top I2 thereof is a pair of spaced longitudinally disposedcontact strips 22 of thin, resilient metal, portions 23 of whichintermediate their ends are extended upwardly to provide transverselydisposed ribs which bear directly against the top plate or wall I2 ofthe box, and those portions of the strips between the upwardly extendedportions 23 function as contacts for engagement with the positive andnegative contacts of the inserted battery cells. f

Portions of the metal at the centers of the members 22 are presseddownwardly as designated by 22a, thereby providing contacts for engagingthe ends of the inserted batteries.

Projecting from one end of each strip 22 is a lip 24 which, when thestrip is properly positioned in the box, occupies a slot or opening 25that is formed in the end wall Il immediately adjacent the end of thetop wall or plate I2. Projecting from the opposite end of each strip 22isv a strip of metal that is bent double to form a terminal 26 andseated therein is a binding screw 21. The strips that form theseterminals project through slots or openings 28 that are formed in thecorresponding end wall II of the upper part of the box directly belowthe end of the top plate I2.

While we have shown our improved battery box constructed s o as toreceive six cells, it will Removably positioned within thelower part ofbe understood that boxes constructed in accordance with our inventionmay be produced for the accommodation of varying numbers of cells inorder to bring about or develop a current of desired amperage capacity.l

By removing the resilient rings l5 from the studs on the ends of thebox, the parts thereof may be readily separated to permit the removaland insertion of battery cells, thereby providing for the production ofa current of the desired amperage, and as the contact plate I8 andstrips 22 are readily removable and replaceable the assembly of the boxand its contents, as Well as4 the disassembly thereof, may be easily andquickly accomplished.

Batteries constructed in accordance with our invention are particularlyapplicable for use in connection with the ignition systems of the smallinternal combustion engines utilized for driving miniature airplanes,for in addition to being very compact the weight of the battery may bereadily increased or decreased by varying the number of cells placed inthe battery and the battery properly weighted may be readily adjustedforwardly or rearwardly Within the fuselage of the miniature airplane soas to provide perfect fore and aft balance for saidfuselage, Obviously,the batteries may be made in various sizes to suit diierent needs andrequirements.

Thus it will be seen that we have provided a battery and battery box orcontainer that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive ofmanufacture, and very effective in performing the functions for which itis intended,

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of our improved battery, may be madeand substituted for those herein shown and described, Without departingfrom the spirit of our invention, the scope of which is set forth in theappended claim.

We claim as our invention:

A battery comprising a box formed in two parts, readily releasable meansfor maintaining the parts of the box in assembled relation, a one-piececonductor plate removably positioned in the bottom of the box, lugsformed integral with the ends of said conductor plate, which lugsproject through the end walls of the box, contacts projecting upwardlyfrom said conductor plate, a pair of separately formed conductor stripsremovably positioned within the upper portion of the box, lugs on theends of said conductor strips, which lugs project through the ends ofthe battery box, spaced transversely disposed ribs pressed from andprojecting upwardly from said conductor strips, contacts projectingdownwardly from said strips for bearing against the top of the box andbattery cells located within said box with their ends in engagement withthe contacts on said conductor plate and said conductor strips.

EDUARD SALATH. MELVIN C. FARRELL.

